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G. J. GHURGHWAR-D.

FOR APPLYING OIL T0 AXLE BEARINGS.

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NlTED STATES 'ATENT Erica,

GEORGE JACKSON GHURCHIVARD, OF SININDON, ENGLAND.

MATERIAL FOR APPLYING OIL TO AXLE-BEARINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,689, dated May 26,1896. Application filed August 15, 1894. Serial No. 520,349. (Nospecimens.) Patented in England January 29, 1885, No. 1,247.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Jncxson CHURoHWARD,a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at Swindon, in the county of W'ilts, England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Material forApplying Oil to Axle-Bearings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is the subject of Letters Patent in Great Britain, No.1,247, dated J anuary 29, 1885.

My invention relates to m eans for applying oil to the axle-bearings inaxle-boxes of railway-cars, locomotives, &c. For this purpose it iscustomary to stuff the axle-box with socalled cotton-waste, consistingof loosely spun threads of cotton or other textile fiber, which absorbsthe oil and carries it after the manner of a wick into contact with thebearing-surfaces of the axle. The use of such waste is subject to thedisadvantage that by long saturation with the oil it becomes sodden andpacks or mats together, thereby not only losing its efficiency as aconductor of oil to the bearing-surfaces, but also preventing the propermovement of grit or dirt to the bottom of the axle-box. It results thatafter such waste has been used for a considerable time become heated,causing what is known as a hot box. Various elastic pads have beenproposed with the provision of springs for pressing them against theaxle and wicks for drawing up the oil; but they have generally beenfound too expensive to be practical and more or less imperfect in thefeeding of oil to the axle and especially in not affording adequateprovision for the separation of dirt or grit and its conduction awayfrom the axle.

According to my invention I employ a combination of curled elastic hair,preferably horsehair, with loosely-spun cotton or Woolen threads orwaste, the curled hair and the textile threads being closelyintermingled, which may be effected by carding or combing the hair'andthreads intimately together. This improved material is employed looselyor in bulk, a sufficient quantity being stuffed into the axle-box in thesame manner as in the employment of cotton or woolen waste as heretoforeused. I

The accompanying drawing gives an approximate illustration of myoil-applying material 011 an enlarged scale, a a representing thetextile threads or yarn, and b b the curled horsehairs.

In my com bination material the cotton or woolen threads serve to takeup the oil by capillaryattraction and conduct it to the bearing,

the elastic curled hair which isso intimately interspersed with thetextile fibers acting as a series of minute springs to keep the threadsin close contact with the axle and at the same time to keep the textureof the material sufficiently open to admit of the passage of any grit ordirt through the material to the bottom of the axle-box. The curledhorsehair used in this combined material thus prevents the cloggingwhich results in the use of the usual Waste and which usually occurs inordinary pads.

My combined material is particularly adapted for use in the variouskinds of axle-boxes which are constructed for lubricating by means ofspring-pads or waste packing. With such boxes I simply remove the padsand springs and fill the bottom parts of the boxes tightly with thecombined material, feeding the oil'to the boxes in the same manner aspreviously adopted for the pads.

I convert the open-bottom grease axle-boxes for the use of oil byfitting to them a tray or reservoir filled with my combined material.

' For locomotives I employ a tray or reservoir filled with the combinedmaterial instead of the usual bottom keep, retaining the ordinary meansfor feeding the oil on the tops of the axle-boxes.

The use of m yinvention has been found in practice to almost entirelyprevent the occurren'ce of hot boxes, thereby avoiding the seform of alubricating-pad inclosed in a cloth cover and pressed by springs againstthe axle; but I am not aware that any such mixture has been used in bulkor loosely as a lubrieating materiahwherein it has important prac- 10sorbent threads of textile fiber, substantially as described, used inbulk in an open loose condition, as distinguished from an inclosed pad.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing 15 witnesses.

GEORGE JACKSON CHUROIIWARD. Vitnesses:

JosEPH STUMPER, CHARLES JOHN J EFFERIES.

